Tickets were still available as of Friday night for the University of Oregon men's basketball game Saturday against USC, billed as "Appreciation Knight" and featuring a bobblehead of Nike co-founder (and big UO philanthropist) Phil Knight.

All fans in attendance will receive the souvenir Knight bobblehead at the game, which has a 5 p.m. tip-off at Matthew Knight Arena.

In mid-January, the athletic department launched a "Phil It UP" campaign, with the goal of honoring Knight, who graduated from the university in 1959, by selling out the arena for Saturday's game.

"Appreciation Knight" is timed to precede Knight's Feb. 24 birthday, when he will turn 76. The evening also will be a semi-formal thank you to Knight and his wife, Penny, for their financial gifts to the university over the years, as well as other charitable giving in Oregon.

"This was a very simple, straightforward project that I assisted with," Pilkenton, the company's director of global event marketing, said in an email.

Pilkenton credited Jim Bartko of the UO athletic department for coming up with the bobblehead idea.

"Phil Knight thought about it, agreed to the basic idea of a promo PHK bobblehead, and then I made sure he approved each step of the design," Pilkenton said. "I think both he and Penny Knight are pleased with the result. I'm proud to have played a small part in getting these made."

The mini-Knight's clothing is contemporary but his footwear is a shoutout to Nike's roots and the other company co-founder, Bill Bowerman, the legendary Ducks track coach.

"It's a custom Waffle Racer with Oregon colors, based on footwear he (Knight) often sports," Pilkenton said. "We're hoping Phil will wear the same thing Saturday."

Pilkenton continued:

"I'm not really an expert on our heritage footwear, but the Waffle Racer evolved from the Waffle Trainer, which evolved from the 'Moon Shoe' which was the first Nike shoe featuring the waffle outsole (debuted at the 1972 U.S. Track and Field Olympic Trials at UO's Hayward Field). By 1976, the Waffle Trainer was the number one selling running shoe in the United States."